BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - Brookline High School students and staff were dismissed early from school Thursday due to what a district spokesperson called “a chemical incident,” which sent two teens and two adults to local hospitals.
“Earlier today, Brookline High School staff were made aware of a chemical irritant found inside the 115 Greenough Street building near a first-floor bathroom close to the cafeteria,” the spokesperson said.
Brookline Fire Acting Chief Colin O’Connell said several students witnessed someone spray the irritant into the air near a restroom outside of the cafeteria, leaving several students with cases of throat irritation and eye watering.
“I was walking to math and I started coughing and a bunch of other students started coughing and I looked at the teacher and I was like, ‘what’s going on?'” BHS student Gianna Pentland told 7NEWS.
“At first, we heard rumors that it was a skunk in the building and then, no, there was a gas leak in the building, and then pepper spray – somebody sprayed pepper spray,” said another student, Ary Alvarez-Valdez.
“I heard from people that it smelled like, it was like you were inhaling shards of glass,” said Sophia Liu, another student.
After this discovery, students and staff were evacuated outside at 11:47 a.m. Emergency personnel then also responded to the scene.
Brookline Fire cleaned and ventilated the affected area Thursday afternoon and the air quality was monitored. The area was deemed safe by Brookline Public Health in consultation with Boston Hazmat, and the school will be open Friday as scheduled. All extracurricular activities will also go on as scheduled Thursday afternoon, including athletic practices and competitions, the fall play, race reels and Brookline Adult & Community Education.
At least two students and two staff members have been transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. Medical staff was also on-site to evaluate and treat people with minor symptoms.
Students and staff who were in the school at the time and are experiencing eye or throat irritation are asked to call their health care provider.
“I think the school does the best they can and I think this could happen at any school and they are always trying to be on top of it,” said Masu Khan, a parent. “And with a population this size, that’s not a small order.”
“Obviously, nobody was really expecting this and it was all really last minute, but they did a good job prioritizing everyone’s safety,” said student Kristen Lial.
It’s unclear at this time what the chemical is.
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